Lehigh Valley Health Network once again has been designated as a Magnet Hospital.

Hospital officials announced Thursday that it received its third consecutive Magnet award, the highest honor for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.

"Recognizing quality patient care, nursing excellence, and innovations in professional nursing practice, the Magnet Recognition Program provides consumers with the ultimate benchmark to measure the quality of care that they can expect to receive," the organization says.

LVH's announcement was made during the health network’s 24th Annual Friends of Nursing Awards program.

Held during National Nurses week, the Friends of Nursing celebration honors the health network’s nurses and other caregivers for the exceptional care they provide to the community, LVH said in a news release. The awards are part of the Friends of Nursing Program, which helps fund continuing education, professional development and research opportunities for nurses to enhance patient care, it said.

The following is a complete list of 2011 Friends of Nursing award recipients:

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ABOUT THE WRITERS

TIM DARRAGH has been reporting and editing the news for 30 years, most of it at The Morning Call. For much of that time, he's been doing award-winning investigative and in-depth reporting projects. Tim created the three-year-long Change of Heart project, and wrote a series on the state's fractured food inspection system that led to widespread improvements in food safety. Meantime, that novice jogger you see plodding along the streets around Bethlehem Township? That would be Tim.